FBI investigating Tesla vehicles shot, set on fire at facility in Las Vegas

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has launched an investigation into what authorities are calling a possible act of domestic terrorism after several Tesla vehicles were shot and set on fire at a repair facility in Las Vegas early Tuesday.

According to police, a person dressed in black carried out the attack in the early hours of the morning. “This was a targeted attack against a Tesla facility,” Assistant Sheriff Dori Koren with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said in a Tuesday news conference.

Koren said multiple 911 calls were received around 2:45 a.m. reporting a fire at the site. “Officers discovered several vehicles on fire as well as the word ‘Resist’ spray-painted on the front doors of the business,” he said.

The incident is the latest in a growing series of attacks on Tesla showrooms, charging stations, and vehicles across the United States, amid backlash linked to Tesla CEO, Elon Musk’s involvement in a controversial federal cost-cutting initiative under the Department of Government Efficiency.

“The swarm of violent attacks on Tesla property is nothing short of domestic terrorism,” US Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement Tuesday. Bondi said the Department of Justice has already charged “several perpetrators with that in mind,” including in cases that involve charges with long-term mandatory minimum sentences.

Surveillance footage captured the suspect shooting at vehicles and using Molotov cocktails to ignite two of them. Police said a third car contained an unexploded Molotov cocktail, which is now being examined for evidence.

No injuries were reported, and fire crews managed to prevent the flames from reaching the vehicles’ batteries.

The Las Vegas incident follows a string of attacks on Tesla property. On March 3, seven Tesla charging stations at a mall near Boston were set on fire. Five days later, six protesters were arrested in New York City after occupying a Tesla showroom. In Colorado, a woman was accused of throwing Molotov cocktails and vandalising vehicles and a showroom.

“This level of violence is insane and deeply wrong,” Tesla CEO Elon Musk said on X. “Tesla just makes electric cars and has done nothing to deserve these evil attacks.”

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The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force is now handling the Las Vegas case. “To those who might think that something like this is justifiable or potentially even admirable, we want you to know this is a federal crime,” said Spencer Evans, special agent in charge of the FBI Las Vegas Field Office.

Just last week, Bondi pledged a crackdown on vandalism targeting Tesla. “If you’re going to touch a Tesla, go to a dealership, do anything, you better watch out because we’re coming after you. And if you’re funding this, we’re coming after you. We’re going to find out who you are,” she said on Fox Business.

While no one has been physically harmed in the recent incidents, the attacks come at a difficult time for Tesla, which is facing a downturn in sales amid rising competition and political controversy.

Tesla recently reported its first annual drop in sales, and early figures suggest the trend may continue. In January, while overall electric vehicle sales in Europe jumped 34%, Tesla’s sales plunged 50%. In China, Tesla’s sales dropped 29% over the first two months of the year, according to Reuters. In the United States, Tesla’s sales were down 16% between December and January, according to Cox Automotive estimates.

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